Alien Encounters
by AnnaBakhu
Summary: What happens when someone from the past suddenly finds herself on Babylon 5?
1. In the Beginning

**ALIEN ENCOUNTER**

_This story is a little different in that it basically centres around a totally original character. The question occurred to me a while ago...what would happen if someone from the past would suddenly find herself on Bab 5? This is my answer. This is the first time I've EVER published any of my various fan fic stories so let me know what you think. No flames please. _

_As always...I don't own Babylon 5 and no copyright infringement intended. This is just for fun and entertainment. _

**CHAPTER ONE: In the Beginning**

Strapped to her seat, nervously fingering the heavy material of her spacesuit, Dr. Elyse Kader listened as Houston control proceed with the countdown.

"T-minus five minutes and counting. All systems go." The disembodied voice with the Southern drawl intoned in the speaker of her helmet.

Looking around the cramped crew quarters/medical bay of the Mars ship Odyssey, Elyse still had trouble believing she was really there. She knew that it was her pioneering work in the infant field of Induced Human Hibernation (IHH) that earned her a place in the crew of this historic voyage. Her gaze rested on the two IHH pods stacked in the corner of the room. In each of them were her charges, the two scientists that would head up the study of Earth's distant red neighbour. They would sleep all the way there and she would waken them when they reached the orbit of Mars.

"T-minus one minute and counting." The voice drawled with just a hint of excitement. As the ship rumbled and shook violently, the Houston voice continued less formally now, "This is it Odyssey, there's no turning back now."

As the rockets built up more and more power, it felt to Elyse like the ship was about to shake itself apart. A twinge of fear gripped her stomach, making its resident mega-butterflies squirm even more.

"…4 – 3 – 2 – 1 – 0. We have ignition….We have lift off! Good luck Odyssey!" the voice said as Elyse became aware of a quickly increasing pressure on her body. As the pressure pushed her further into her seat Elyse knew that from this moment on her life would never be the same again.

-------- * --------

Twenty-three days into the mission, Elyse was at her station next to a big window going over some notes when something caught her eye. Was that movement? She stared out the window in astonishment as a piece of space appeared to shimmer and waver…as if it were made of water.

Hitting the communications she said "Captain, what's that off the port side?"

"What's what? I don't….What the HELL is that???"

Before anyone had a chance to say another word, the very fabric of space opened up and formed a multi-coloured whirlpool. Elyse stared in shocked amazement as the swirling mass of colour filled the window and the ship was dragged into the centre. Losing lateral control, the ship pivoted and for a brief second she saw the stars. Then the walls of the whirlpool crashed down around them with a loud explosion.

The concussion caused the outer hull to breach near the bridge and the command crew was killed instantly. In the weightless environment, Elyse was able to launch herself toward the bulkhead separating the bridge and the crew quarters and managed to close it before the vacuum of space overtook the living area. The ship started to tumble violently end over end as shock waves and debris pummelled the ship. Finding herself pinned against the back wall by the centrifugal pull, Elyse stared in horror as the hull around her began to crush like a piece of aluminium foil and the hibernation pods of her colleagues were crushed. As the walls caved in and the blackness overtook her, Elyse screamed.


	2. Alien Encounter

**CHAPTER TWO: Alien Encounter**

Voices barely distinguishable, off in the distance invaded her consciousness. Elyse become aware of pain…lots of pain and she moaned. A touch of something cold on her body, she couldn't tell where, cut through the agony…a soothing voice then blackness.

Voices again – distant, but this time distinguishable. What were they saying? She strained to hear, to understand.

"How is she?" A man's voice asked

"Holding her own now." A second male voice.

"Will she be alright?"

"Looks like it. We nearly lost her a few times. She shouldn't even be alive, not with the injuries she received." He sighed loudly. There was a pause. "Any idea who she is?"

"None. There's not much left of her ship. We did find traces of bodies, three or four I think, but that's about it."

"No markings? Nothing?"

"Nothing distinguishable yet. But we're working on it."

Elyse fought to wake up, forcing her body to move as the conversation swirled around her.

"…couldn't tell you how long before she regains consciousness." The first man continued, "Maybe never. It all depends on her."

Elyse groaned, willing herself awake.

Both men stopped talking.

"Stephen, I think she said something." The second man said urgently.

"Shhh" the first man commanded the other while bending low, "It's okay, you're safe now" he said quietly, his face close to hers.

"What's your name? Who are you?" The second man asked quickly raising his voice.

"Michael, enough! Give her a chance." Turning back to Elyse, the first man said quietly "My name is Stephen, I'm a doctor. You're going to be okay. What's your name?"

Opening her eyes a little Elyse forced her eyes to focus on the face in front of her, but quickly gave up, her body succumbing to fatigue.

"Elyse…" was all she managed before giving in to the darkness again.

--------*--------

Elyse had no idea how long she had been unconscious, but as she woke up she noticed that she did feel better. Opening her eyes slightly, Elyse looked around the room. Where was she? Was this a hospital? If so, what kind of hospital? None of the equipment around her was familiar. She could see people all around her, some working at various consoles, some lying on beds, and some working at the bedsides. She spotted a familiar face, the man she saw earlier…what was his name? Stephen. That's it.

Elyse continued to look around, taking in the various sights and sounds of the strange place she found herself in. Suddenly, she stopped cold. What she was looking at made her doubt very much she was even awake, let alone sane. Indeed, she seriously doubted her sanity at that very moment. Standing just a few feet away was a…what WAS that????? She looked away and closed her eyes tightly, absolutely certain that she was hallucinating. Did she actually see _tentacles_??? No! That…that's impossible!

"This isn't real." She told herself aloud, "I did NOT see that. I will open my eyes and it will be gone." She continued trying to convince herself of that very thing.

Gripping the sheets with both of her hands, she opened her eyes slowly and looked slowly toward the place where she saw the – thing – all the while trying to convince herself she had imagined it all.

"I will not see…uhhhhh…" she spotted the tentacles "uhhhhhh…." She managed before sheer panic made her forget to breathe.

Off in the distance she heard alarms sounding, but her eyes were riveted to the tentacles. They were MOVING! Damn! They were looking at her! Suddenly people surrounded her; one obstructed her view of the tentacles.

"Elyse!" It was Stephen.

She looked at him and suddenly became aware that she had not breathed in a while and was quite uncomfortable. Gasping in a lung-full of air, she frantically waved toward the apparition and looked at Stephen pleadingly.

"Tentacles!" she gasped, grabbing his sleeve in a panic. "Tentacles – face!!!"

Stephen glanced behind him and turned back to Elyse. "Of course, he's a Pak' Mara, that's normal."

"Normal? Normal? You call that NORMAL?!!" She squeaked, hysteria taking full control. "How can that be…? Never mind…I'm outta here!" Using Stephen's sleeve for leverage, she sat up fully intending to get the heck out of there, but a sudden sharp stabbing pain in her abdomen put a stop to all that. "OWWWW!!!" she yelled as she fell back on the bed. Badly frightened and completely helpless, Elyse began to wail in hysterics. She wasn't even aware of the shot she received only of the blackness that once again overwhelmed her.


	3. Close Encounters of the Worst Kind?

**CHAPTER THREE: Close Encounters of the Worst Kind?**

Leaning over the secure cam, Security Chief Michael Garibaldi let out a slow whistle. "Well I'll be damned." He muttered before tapping the comm.

"Garibaldi to Franklin."

"Franklin, Go."

"Stephen my friend, I believe I just figured out the identity of our mystery lady."

"I'll be right there. Franklin Out."

A few minutes later Stephen walked into the security office with an expectant look on his face. "So, what do you have?" He asked.

Michael tapped a button on his desk and Elyse's smiling face appeared on the main view screen. "There she is -- our mystery guest."

Stephen studied Elyse's face and bio stats. "Doctor Elyse Kader? Wait a minute Michael, this can't be right. According to this, she was on the first mission to Mars in the early 21st century. If I remember correctly, the ship was lost and the crew were presumed dead soon after the launch."

"Exactly!!" Michael replied getting up out of his chair to stand next to the view screen. "I went over every inch of the wreckage she was found in. It all fits!" Pointing to Elyse's picture, he continued, "_This_ believe it or not, _is_ Doctor Elyse Kader. And that hunk of scrap metal is what's left of the Odyssey, launched almost 250 years ago. There's no doubt about that."

"Well," Stephen said with a long sigh, "That certainly explains her reaction in MedLab today."

"What reaction?"

"She woke up and saw a Pak'Mara."

Michael's face underwent several expression changes from surprise to humour before he finally forced himself to look concerned. "Oh." He said rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet, a muscle in his cheek twitching. "She must have been…errr."

"…upset. Yes." Stephen finished his features mirroring his 'doctorly' concern.

"Yes, I guess she would be." Michael managed, clearing his throat loudly, the humour of the situation getting the best of him.

"Of all the alien species on Babylon 5 she had to see first, it had to be the Pak Mara." The doctor muttered, shaking his head.

Garibaldi looked around his office, desperate to control the laughter that threatened to erupt from deep inside him. In spite of himself, a guffaw escaped.

"Michael! That's not funny!" Stephen chided as the security chief fought for control, "She was hysterical. Kept going on about tentacles…."

Unable to contain himself anymore, Michael burst out laughing while Stephen simply glared. Resting his hand heavily on the young doctor's shoulder, Michael wiped away the tears in his eyes and said "Sorry man, it's just…I mean…think about it!"

"Yeah, well. I think we should inform Sheridan, don't you?" Stephen replied looking at his friend disapprovingly. "I'll be in MedLab if you need me."

Still laughing, the security chief fell heavily into his chair as he watched his friend leave the room.


End file.
